Panel connector



May 7, 1968 M. WICZER 3,381,430

PANEL CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 27, 1965 aljttgjs.

United States Patent O 3,381,430 PANEL CONNECTOR Max Wiczer, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Wico Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 27, 1965, Ser. No; 516,468 3 Claims. (Cl. 52-282) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An improved extruded corner molding is provided having a pair of elongated tongue-and-groove socket means each having an open edge from which extends the panel that is secured to the molding. The panel has a grooved edge which affords assembly by sliding the panel longitudinally of the molding. The socket means are each defined by spaced outer and inner walls which bound the open edge and an abutment shoulder spaced opposite from and parallel to the open edge. On the outer wall there is a tongue or rail extending toward said inner wall but spaced therefrom. The tongue and abutment shoulder define a channel within said socket means for receiving an edge of a panel. A corner is formed by two socket means being interconnected by a rigid brace means which maintains each socket means at a predetermined attitude relative to the other.

This invention relates to an extruded corner molding and more particularly to a corner molding adapted for ready connection with edge portions of wood panels or the like.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved extruded corner molding which permits rapid and inexpensive assembly of wood panels into attractive cabinet constructions and the like, and which is characterized by effectiveness in holding of the panels securely in position without the use of special separate connectors therefor.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularly in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l illustrates a typical cabinet construction utilizing the type of corner molding embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the extruded section shown in the construction of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. l a cabinet generally indicated at wherein the corners of the cabinet are comprised of extruded corner moldings 12, and the sides of the cabinet are defined by panels 14. The first form of extruded corner molding 12 is illustrated in FIG. 2, and consists of a pair of elongated tongue and groove socket means generally indicated at 16, each being adapted to slidingly receive longitudinally thereinto a grooved edge of a side panel 14 that projects outwardly of the corner molding. More specifically, the panel 14 is of wood, or other similar material, and includes a flat section 18 wherein the longitudinal edge thereof has been grooved at 20 to slidingly receive therein a rail that is formed on the tongue and groove socket means 16. The terminal edge of the panel is indicated at 22.

As to the details of the extruded corner molding, each of the pair of elongated tongue and groove socket means is provided with an outer wall 24 and an inner wall 26,

Cir

3,381,430 Patented. May 7, 1968 ICC and are spaced from each other at their free terminal edges, respectively at 24a and 26a, to define therebetween an open longitudinal side for the tongue and groove socket means. There is provided on the outer side 24 an extruded rail 28 which is spaced from. the free terminal edge 24a of the outer wall, and which extends toward the inner wall 26, but is spaced therefrom. An abutment shoulder 30 is also formed integral with the outer wall 24, and is spaced from the terminal edge 24a of the outer wall a distance greater than the spacing of the rail 28 from said terminal edge 24a, so that there is formed between said shoulder 30 and the rail 28 a channel 32 that is adapted to slidingly receive thereinlto the portion of the panel 14 that extends along the terminal edge of said panel.

The entire molding 12 is extruded of aluminum, or the like, and the inner wall 26 is a relatively thin panel so that a portion thereof may be struck or punched to deform inwardly as at 34 in the direction toward the rail 28, so as to press into the wall of the panel 18, and to clamp the panel 18 securely in position in the tongue and groove socket means, and to thereby restrain the panel 18 against movement longitudinally of the socket means.

The pair of tongue and groove socket means 16 are interconnected by a brace means, generally indicated at 36, and said brace means extends along the entire length of the tongue and groove socket means and operates to maintain the open longitudinal edges of said socket means at a predetermined attitude relative to each other. In the particular form shown in FIG. 2, the open longitudinal sides of the tongue Vand groove socket means are arranged substantially at to each other, but another attitude could be selected, as desired.

In the form of device of FIG. 2, the outer walls 24 extend away from the free terminal edges 24a sufficiently so as to intersect each other respectively at an outer, corner 38, and the inner walls 26 are also extending away from the free terminal edges 26a thereof to intersect each other respectively at an innercorner 40. The braces means 36 is in the form of a thickened rib-like member 41 that extends between and in unitary merging relation with the said outer corner 38, the adjacent portions of the outer walls, and the inner corner 40 and adjacent portions of the inner walls. The brace means 36 also serves to close ofi the longitudinal sides of the tongue and socket means that are opposite the open longitudinal sides thereof, so that the corner molding is effectively closed at the corner and operates to overlay the terminal edges of the panels 14 that are connected to the socket means. This arrangement presents a very neat appearance in the fin ished product as is seen in FIG. l.

The extruded molding 12 of FIG. 2 is also shaped to define recessed areas 42 between shoulders 30 and rib 41 which serve to reduce the amount of material used in forming the extrusion. It will be understood that the rib 41 is somewhat thicker than the walls 24 and 26 so as to provide a rigidifying effect. In the extrusion of the inner corner portion of the molding, it has been found desirable to mold a generally arcuate corner as seen at 44, that is partially defined by adjacent inwardly extending reinforcing ribs 46, which extend inwardly from the inner walls 26.

In the form of device seen in FIG. 3, the corner extrusion is indicated generally at 50, and includes tongue and groove socket means generally indicated at 52 each of which consists of an outer wall 54 and a spaced inner wall 56, with a rail 58 formed on the outer wall 54, and spaced from the terminal edge thereof and extending toward the inner wall 56. The portion of the socket means that is opposite the open longitudinal side 60 thereof is closed off by a transverse wall 62, which also serves to deiine an abutment shoulder that is spaced from the rail 58, and between which there is formed a channel 64y for receiving a portion of the panel V66 which slidably is tted into the tongue and socket means 52. Transverse wall 62 is of a length to extend between the outer and inner walls 54 and 56, and a brace means 68 is provided which interconnects and merges with the region of intersection of each transverse wall 62 with an inner wall 56. The brace means 68 is a rib-like member formed of a greater thickness than the adjacent inner walls 56 and 62, so that the brace means 68 serves to provide the proper rigidifying effect sought, by means of which the pair of panels 66 are maintained at a pre-selected angle relative to each other, depending upon what is desired in the form of a corner molding and the included angle therebetween, and also providing a very neat and attractive corner molding. Although not shown in FIG. 3, it should be understood that the portion of inner wall 56 that is opposite the rail 58 may be deformed inwardly similarly to what is shown at 34 in FIG. 2, so as to press into the wall of panel 66 and to clamp the panel 66 securely in position in the tongue and groove socket means.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment lof this invention, it will be obvious t0 those skilled in the art that various changes and modilications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An extruded corner molding, for use with wood panels or the like pre-formed with a groove in one face thereof parallel to and spaced from an adjacent edge of the panel, said extruded corner molding comprising, in combination, a pair of continuous, elongated tongue and groove socket means each with an open longitudinal side adapted to slidingly receive longitudinally thereinto a grooved edge of a wood panel that projects outwardly of the corner molding through said open longitudinal side of the socket means, brace means interconnecting the pair of longitudinal socket means along their length for maintaining the open longitudinal edges of the socket means at a predetermined attitude relative to each other, each socket means including spaced outer and inner walls having free terminal edges which define the said open longitudinal side, a rail on the outer wall spaced from the free terminal edge of said outer wall and extending toward the inner wall but spaced therefrom, an abutment shoulder separate from the brace means and spaced from the terminal edge of the outer wall and beyond said rail to define between said shoulder and rail a channel adapted to slidingly receive longitudinally thereinto without forcing the portion of the wood panel between the groove and the adjacent edge of the panel, the brace means being of a thickness greater than the thickness of the walls of the socket means, and the inner wall being of thickness t0 be deformable by being struck and offset inwardly toward said rail to clamp a panel securely in position in said socket means against movement longitudinally of said socket means.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the outer walls and inner walls are extended away from the free terminal edges thereof to intersect respectively at an outer and an inner corner, the brace means being a thick rib-like member extending between and merging with said outer corner and inner corner, and the abutment shoulder being spaced from the rib-like member and being defined on the outer wall.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein each abutment shoulder as a transverse wall that extends between and spaces the outer and inner wall of each socket means, the brace means interconnecting and merging with the regions of intersection of each transverse wall and inner wall, and said brace means spacing and maintaining said pair of socket means at a predetermined distance apart and at a predetermined attitude relative to each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 728,688 5/ 1903 yDyarman 287-2092 731,946 6/1903` Phipps 287-20192 760,974 5/1904 Dyarman et al. 52-282 1,129,658 2/1915 Foy 287-2092 2,394,702 2/1946 Lindsay 287-2092 3,190,408 6'/ 1965 Petterson 52-282 FANK L. ABBOTT, Prmaly Examiner.

JAMES L. RIDGILL, JR., Examiner. 

